This succulent lamb breast recipe is seasoned with Dijon mustard, garlic, and rosemary before being roasted to perfection. With a tender interior and a lightly crisp exterior, this recipe is sure to impress! Keep reading for step-by-step instructions and the tips and tricks you need for a delicious lamb dish.
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Why You'll Love this Lamb Recipe
Whether you're experienced with cooking lamb or this is your first time, lamb breast is a forgiving, fatty cut that's a bit less expensive than other cuts and, when cooked low and slow, the meat is tender and flavorful.
Slow-cooked lamb is coated with a bright, savory mixture of dijon mustard, rosemary, and fresh garlic. The fat renders slowly over the long cook time, leaving tender lamb on the exterior and a lightly crisp exterior.
This is a great project meal for a weekend. It's one of those dinner recipes that makes the house smell amazing for hours, so everyone is excited to eat when it's ready.
Finally, while this recipe might seem challenging because of the time commitment, it's truly an easy recipe at its heart. With simple ingredients and relatively little hands-on time, this will quickly become one of your favorite recipes.
What You'll Need
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- Bone-in Lamb Breast This is a slightly different cut than lamb ribs, as it also contains the breastplate.
- Olive Oil You could also use a bit of neutral oil, like avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
- Dijon Mustard
- Rosemary I tested this with both dried and fresh rosemary and both work well.
- Kosher Salt is my preferred salt for cooking. It is less salty per teaspoon than sea salt or table salt, making it easier to taste as you go and harder to oversalt.
- Black Pepper Freshly ground black pepper is best here.
Recommended Equipment
Roasting Pan or Deep Baking Sheet (I prefer a roasting pan, here!)
How to Make Breast of Lamb
Step One Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, chop your garlic.
Step Two Prepare your lamb rub by mixing the dijon mustard, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil in a dish.
Step Three Pat the lamb breast dry with a paper towel.
Step Four Season the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides.
Step Five Brush the lamb all over with the mustard and garlic mixture.
Step Six Place lamb fat side up in a roasting pan or on a baking dish and cook lamb breast for 4 hours.
Step Seven Turn the temperature of the oven up to 350 degrees F for about 20 to 30 minutes to provide a light crisp to the exterior of the lamb. Keep an eye on your lamb at this point. Some ovens are faster than others to heat. If you notice the exterior getting a bit dark, remove the lamb breast from the oven.
Step Eight Use an instant-read/meat thermometer to ensure the lamb has reached an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. You are looking for the fat to render (it will pool at the bottom of the roasting pan), a browned exterior, and a somewhat crisped surface. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes, cut the ribs apart, then serve.
Variations and Substitutions
- Garnish with more herbs, like fresh mint or fresh parsley.
- You can add additional seasoning to the lamb before cooking, like a bit of smoked paprika or cumin.
- You can also season the lamb more simply, seasoning it with only salt and pepper.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge Store leftover lamb in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer If you're interested in freezing leftover cooked lamb, I recommend removing the meat from the ribs, sealing in a freezer-safe container like gallon storage bags, and freezing for up to 2 months.
Reheating from Fridge I recommend reheating in a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil until the lamb is heated through.
Reheating from Freezer Defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as above or add to a dish calling for lamb, like a stew or sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Lamb breast is a cut of lamb belly that includes the breastplate and some ribs. This is a forgiving cut with plenty of fat which renders during the cooking process.
While related, lamb breast is not the same cut as lamb ribs. Lamb ribs come from the side of the animal, whereas lamb breast is from the belly, and includes both the breastplate and some lamb ribs.
Lamb breast starts as a very tough cut of meat, but with a long cook time at a low temperature, it can become quite tender and delicious.
How to Serve this Breast of Lamb Recipe
This lamb breast recipe is excellent with a variety of side dishes. Try the suggestions below:
These spicy, lemony Calabrian Potatoes are a wonderful match for lamb and one of my favorite sides. Sautéed Sweet Potatoes would be fantastic, too!
This Beet and Cucumber Salad with feta and dill is a refreshing side perfect to complement the rich lamb.
Marinated Brussels Sprouts would be another lovely choice. With shallots, honey, and champagne vinegar, they are balanced and flavorful.
Expert Tips
- Slow cooking the lamb will allow it to remain moist and tender on the inside.
- Using the assertively flavored rub of mustard, garlic, and rosemary will mask any gamey flavor of the lamb.
- Letting the meat rest after cooking will ensure it stays juicy. When you cut meat immediately after cooking, its juices can run out. You've come this far - give it just a few minutes longer!
More Meaty Main Dishes to Try
📖 Recipe
Roasted Lamb Breast Recipe
Equipment
- Small Bowl
- Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 1 (2-pound) portion of lamb breast see note 1
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare your lamb rub by mixing the dijon mustard, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil together in a dish.
- Pat the lamb breast dry with a paper towel.
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Brush the lamb all over with the mustard, rosemary, and garlic mixture.
- Place lamb fat side up in a roasting pan or on a baking dish and cook lamb breast for 4 hours.
- Turn the temperature of the oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 to 30 minutes to provide a light crisp to the exterior of the lamb. Keep an eye on your lamb at this point. Some ovens are faster than others to heat. If you notice the exterior getting a bit dark, remove the lamb breast from the oven.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the lamb has reached at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. You are looking for the fat to render (it will pool at the bottom of the roasting pan), a browned exterior, and a somewhat crisped surface. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes, cut the ribs apart, then serve.
Video
Notes
- When I ordered for a full lamb breast from a local farm, it came as two 2-pound pieces of meat, each comprising half of a lamb breast. This recipe is for one of these halves. If you'd like to prepare more, click on the number next to "serving" in the header of the recipe card and adjust.
- Each lamb breast portion can serve 1 to 2 people.
- I always recommend using a reliable oven thermometer. Ovens can be off by as much as 100 degrees or more. Using an oven thermometer will allow you to know the exact, correct temperature of your oven.
- Fridge Store leftover lamb in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer If you're interested in freezing leftover cooked lamb, I recommend removing the meat from the ribs, sealing in a freezer-safe container like gallon storage bags, and freezing for up to 2 months.
- Reheating from Fridge I recommend reheating in a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil until the lamb is heated through.
- Reheating from Freezer Defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as above.
Priscilla La Rocca says
wow! very impressive and amazingly delicious recipe.
Genevieve says
Thank you so much!
Shruthi says
I couldn't believe how easy (but delicious!) this recipe was. I've never cooked lamb breast before, but my husband picked some up from the local butcher, and I'm so glad I found this recipe. Will definitely be making this again!
Genevieve says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much, Shruthi!
Sage Scott says
Sadly, I can no longer eat lamb or other mammalian meats due to a tick-borne food allergy, but I have family members who would love this dish. Can't wait to try it for an upcoming special occasion.
Genevieve says
I have heard about that, Sage! I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with that and think it's wonderful that you're still preparing things for you family you know they will enjoy.
Michelle says
I tried this recipe for roasted lamb breast and it turned out amazing! The meat was tender, juicy and flavorful, and the crispy herb crust added an extra layer of texture and taste. Highly recommend trying this dish!
Genevieve says
Thank you so much, Michelle! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Sharina says
Garnish it with fresh parsley and this roasted lamb breast is definitely a keeper! It was so tender and scrumptious!
Genevieve says
Oh yes, love some fresh parsley! Thanks Sharina!
Elizabeth S says
Thanks for the thorough instructions! I was super nervous to make it but the lamb turned out perfect. I cannot wait to make this again. Oh and I doubled the amount of rosemary because I LOVE it.
Genevieve says
Wonderful, I'm so happy to hear it, Elizabeth!
Sars says
I've never cooked lamb before this but I was eager to try something new. I followed the recipe exactly and it was quite tasty! My oven must run a little cooler though, it took longer than 4 hours to reach perfect doneness. I'm trying it again today but at 275 instead. It's sure to be delicious again!
Genevieve says
Ah yes, that's a good point! I recommend having an oven thermometer to ensure the temp is actually what it says it is because ovens can vary so much. Mine often says it's reached temperature when it still has 100 degrees to go! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe and I hope 275 works out well for you. 🙂